An engineering graduate from Vizag goes on a student visa to pursue higher studies in the U.S., but ends up as an independent film-maker in New York. This is not the storyline of a film.
The techie is our own ‘backstreet boy’ Pravin Vattikolla, who has carved a niche for himself in the U.S. short film circuit with 30 short films and has now forayed into making full-length films in English. His short films screened at various international film festivals, not only made many film buffs and artistes notice his work but also brought him quite a few awards.
Having done his schooling from Alwardas Public School (now MVP Public School) and engineering from Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering, he went to the University of South Carolina to do his Masters a little over a decade ago.
Pravin had always wanted to do something different right from his childhood. He learnt Kuchipudi from the legendary dancer Vempati China Satyam apart from learning Mridangam. He was also into writing short stories and learning break dance.
”Though I have been working on many stories, it took me a couple of years to come up with an award-winning film on rash driving and its after-effects, which won awards at the California film festival and Detroit film festival and another two years to come up with Sonia , a full-length feature film”, says Pravin.
“A few films produced on myriad hues of life have also been screened in many U.S. cities and various film festivals, including the Directors circles of shorts, in Washington DC,” he says.
“I was working with HB Studios, IFCKC and other film-making communities in New York city, which helped me to equip myself with the technical aspects of film-making”.
Plans dubbing in Telugu
“ Sonia is my first full-length film in English and I plan to dub it into Telugu and release it in India. I am in talks some producers in this regard. It’s a romantic comedy set in New York. Kumar meets Sonia and falls in love with her but they get separated soon.” His second full-length film Writer has completed 50 per cent shooting.
Coming from the U.S. after 12 years, he finds the city more crowded, but says: “I love shooting in Vizag and plan to do an action movie here and showcase the city and its natural beauty to audiences in the U.S.”
